Lecture#1 Micro-electro-mechanical

Systems (MEMS)

Instructor,
Dr MZ Ansari
Assistant Professor
Mech. Engg., IIITDMJ-Jabalpur

1. What is MEMS?
Definition:
MEMS is a portfolio of techniques and processes to
design and create miniature systems.
MEMS is a way of making things that merge the
functions of sensing and actuation with computation
and communication to locally control physical
parameters at the micro-scale, yet cause effects at
much grander scales.
Known as MEMS (in USA) or Microsystems
Technology, ST, (in Europe)

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1. What is MEMS?

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1. What is MEMS?
Distinctive features of MEMS
They are miniature embedded systems involving
one or many micromachined components or
structures.
They enable higher level functions, though in and of
themselves, their utility may be limited. For example,
a micromachined pressure sensor in ones hand is
useless, but, under the hood, it controls the fuel-air
mixture of the car engine.
They often integrate smaller functions together into
one package for greater utility (e.g., merging an
acceleration sensor with electronic circuits for self
diagnostics).
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1. What is MEMS?
They can also bring cost benefits directly through
low unit pricing or indirectly by cutting service and
maintenance costs.
Why Miniaturize?
Batch fabrication, lower cost per device
Less energy, less material consumed, disposable
Array of sensors/actuators possible
Can take advantage of different scaling laws
Integration with circuitry can reduce noise and
improve sensitivity
Yield and reliability may be improved, fewer defects
per chip
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1. What is MEMS?
Challenges to Miniaturization
Harder to interface with macroscopic world like
fragility, interconnect issues
Smaller devices require higher sensitivity to sense
smaller input like chemical sensors, accelerometers,
gyros
May need to take into account molecular forces like
Brownian motion and quantum mechanical effects
like phonon

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2. History of MEMS
The field of MEMS evolved from the integrated
circuit industry (from the mid-1960s to 1980s).
Use the IC processing technology to make
micromechanical devices, including cantilevers,
membranes, and nozzles was developed.
For example, micromachined pressure sensors are
built with a variety of structures and fabrication
methods.
These sensors can be based on capacitive, piezoelectric, piezoresistive, electronics resonance, and
optical detection techniques.
Advanced features for pressure sensors include a
built-in vacuum for absolute pressure measurement.
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2. History of MEMS
Other features for integrated pressure sensors may
include integrated telemetry link, close-loop control,
insensitivity to contamination, biocompatibility for
integration into micromedical instruments, and use
of nonsilicon membrane materials (e.g., ceramics,
diamonds) for functioning in harsh and hightemperature environments

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3. Branches of MEMS
Optical MEMS:
Monolithic integration of mechanics, electronics, and
optics
Unique spatial or wavelength tunability
Improved efficiency of optical assembly and
alignment accuracy
BioMEMS
Miniaturization (minimal invasion and size matched
with biological entities)
Rich functional integration within physically small,
minimally invasive medical devices
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3. Branches of MEMS
MicrofIuidics:
Laboratory-on-a-chip (LoC) or micro total analysis
systems (TAS)
Reduced amount of samples and reagents and
associated cost
Parallel and combinatorial analysis possible
Miniaturization, automation, and portability
Radio Frequency (RF) MEMS
Unique performances not found in solid-state RF
integrated devices
Promises of direct integration of active and passive
elements with circuitry
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3. Branches of MEMS
Nano Electromechanical Systems (NEMS):
Unique physical properties due to scaling (e.g.,
ultra-low mass and ultra-high resonant frequency)
Unprecedented sensitivity and selectivity of
detection achievable in selected cases

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MEMS Devices: Sensors and Actuators

MEMS technology enables revolutionary sensors and
actuators.
In general terms, sensors are devices that detect and monitor
physical or chemical phenomena, whereas actuators are
devices that produce mechanical motion, force, or torque.
Sensing can be broadly defined as energy transduction
processes that result in perception, whereas actuation can be
defined as energy transduction processes that produce
actions.
Sensors and actuators are collectively referred to as
transducers, which transform signals or power from one
energy domain to another.
There are six major energy domains of interest.

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Major Energy Domains

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Sensors
Sensors fall into two categories: physical and chemical or
biological.
Physical sensors measure physical variables such as force,
acceleration, pressure, temperature, flow rate, acoustic
vibration, and magnetic field strength.
Chemical sensors detect chemical and biological variables
including chemical concentrations, pH, binding strength of
biological molecules, protein-protein interactions, and so
forth.

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Most important sensor characteristics

1. Sensitivity: The sensitivity is defined as the ratio between
the magnitude of the output signal and that of the input
stimulus.
2. Linearity: If the output signal changes proportionally with
respect to the input signal, the response is said to be linear.
3. Responsivity: It is also known as the accuracy, resolution, or
detection limit. This term signifies the smallest signal that a
sensor can detect with confidence. It is generally limited by
noise associated with the transduction elements and circuits.
4. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR): The SNR is the ratio between
the magnitude of signals and noise.
5. Dynamic range: The dynamic range is the ratio between the
highest and the lowest detectable signal levels. In many
applications, a wide dynamic range is desired.
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6. Bandwidth: Sensors behave differently to constant or timevarying signals. Often, sensors may cease to respond to
signals of extremely high frequencies. The effective
frequency range is called the bandwidth.
7. Drift: Drift may occur because the electrical and mechanical
properties of materials vary over time. Sensors with a large
drift cannot be used successfully to detect slowly changing
signals.
8. Sensor reliability: Sensor performance may change over
time, particularly if it is placed under harsh conditions.
Sensors developed for military use, for example, need to
satisfy the military specification (MIL-SPEC). Reliability and
trustworthiness of sensors in a wide temperature range (55C to 105C) is demanded of such sensors.
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9. Cross talk or interference: A sensor intended for measuring

one variable may be sensitive to another physical variable as
well. For example, a strain sensor may have finite sensitivity
to temperature and humidity. Sensor cross talks should be
minimized in practical applications.
10. Development cost and time: It is always desirable that the
sensor development process be inexpensive and fast. Fast
time-to-market is important for commercial sensors that are
built with custom specifications. Many commercially
successful MEMS sensors have been developed over long
periods of time and cost millions of dollars. The reduction of
cost and development time to the level currently enjoyed by
the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) industry
would be very appealing.
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Actuators
Actuators generally transform energy in non-mechanical
energy domains into the mechanical domain.
For a particular actuation task, there could be several energy
transduction mechanisms.
For example, we can generate a mechanical movement by
using electrostatic forces, magnetic forces, piezoelectricity, or
thermal expansion.
Some other actuation methods include pneumatics, shapememory alloys, thermal expansion, phase change, electrochemical reactions and energetic combustion, and friction
drag by moving fluids
Microstructure can also be coupled to mesoscopic drivers
(e.g., with interlocking mechanisms).

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Actuators design and selection criteria

1. Torque and force output capacity: The actuator must
provide sufficient force or torque for the task at hand. For
example, microoptical mirrors are used to deflect photons.
Because photons are lightweight, low levels of force provided
by the mirror actuator are sufficient. In some cases,
microactuators are used for interacting with the fluid (air or
water) to actively control it. Such actuators must provide
sufficient force and power to produce appreciable effects.
2. Range of motion: The amount of translation or angular
movement that the actuator can produce under reasonable
conditions and power consumption is an important concern.
For example, the DLP micromirrors are required to move
within a 15 range. For optical switches used for dynamic
network routing, larger angles of displacement (30 to 45)
are needed.
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3. Dynamic response speed and bandwidth: The actuator

must be able to produce a sufficiently fast response. From
the viewpoint of actuator control, the intrinsic resonant
frequency of an actuator device should be greater than the
maximum oscillation frequency.
4. Ease of fabrication and availability of materials: To reduce
the potential cost of MEMS actuators, there are two important
strategies: to reduce the cost of materials and processing
time or to increase the process yield for a given process in
order to produce more functional units in each batch.
5. Power consumption and energy efficiency: Many micro
actuators are envisioned for use in small and mobile systems
platforms. The total available power for such systems is
generally limited. In this and many other MEMS applications,
low-power actuators are preferred to increase the duration of
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7. Cross-sensitivity and environmental stability: The

actuator must be stable over the long term, against
temperature variation, humidity absorption, and mechanical
creep. Long term stability of such actuators is extremely
important for ensuring commercial competitiveness and
success. A mechanical element may produce displacement,
force, or torque in a non-intended axis.
8. Footprint: The footprint of an actuator is the total chip area it
occupies. In cases of dense actuator arrays, the footprint of
each actuator becomes a primary point of consideration.

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Comparison of actuation methods

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4. Example: Ink-jet Printer

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4. Example: Ink-jet Printer

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4. Example: Accelerometer

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4. Example: Micromirror

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5. MEMS Applications
Commercial Applications

Invasive and noninvasive biomedical sensors

Miniature biochemical analytical instruments
Cardiac management systems (e.g., pacemakers)
Drug delivery systems (e.g., insulin, analgesics)
Neurological disorders (e.g., neurostimulation)
Engine and propulsion control
Automotive safety, braking, and suspension systems
Telecommunication optical fiber components and switches
RF and wireless electronics
Distributed sensors for condition-based maintenance and
monitoring structural health
Distributed control of aerodynamic/ hydrodynamic systems
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Military Applications
Inertial systems for munitions guidance and personal
navigation
Distributed unattended sensors for asset tracking, and
environmental and security surveillance
Weapons safing, arming, and fusing
Integrated microoptomechanical components for identifyfriend-or-foe systems
Head- and night-display systems
Low-power, high-density mass data storage devices
Embedded sensors and actuators for condition-based
maintenance
Integrated fluidic systems for miniature propellant and
combustion control
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 Miniature fluidic systems for early detection of threats from

biological and chemical agents
Electromechanical signal processing for small and low-power
wireless communication
Active, conformable surfaces for distributed aerodynamic
control of aircraft

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MEMS Market

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To MEMS or not to MEMS

Why MEMS?
In practice, a MEMS solution becomes attractive if it enables
a new function or provides significant cost reduction or both.
For instance, medical applications generally seem to focus
on added or enabled functionality and improved performance,
whereas automotive applications often seek cost reduction.
Size reduction can play an important selling role but is
seldom sufficient as the sole reason unless it becomes
enabling in itself.
Regardless of how exciting and promising a technology may
be, its ultimate realization is invariably dependent on
economical success.
The end user will justify the technology on the basis of added
value, increased productivity, or cost competitiveness, and
the manufacturer must show revenues and profits.
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To MEMS or not to MEMS

Moores Law
An observation NOT a law!
Number of transistors per unit surface area doubles every 2
years.
Price drops by 30% each year
Consequences:
Higher memory
Higher computation power
Faster communication
Faster sensing/actuation

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Scaling Laws
The scaling laws are proportionality relations of any
parameter associated with an object (or system)
with its length scale.
For example, the volume of an object varies as
cubic length (i.e., as l3); on the other hand, its
surface area scales as l2.
Therefore, a smaller object possesses larger surface
area to its volume when compared with a bigger
object with similar geometrical shape.
There are primarily two types of scaling laws. One is
related to the scaling of physical size of objects.
The other type is related to the scaling of a
phenomenological behavior of an object/machine.
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Scaling Laws
Scaling laws deal with the structural and functional
consequences of changes in size or scale among
otherwise similar structures/organisms.
When the size of an object is scaled down, different
physical phenomena become predominant at
different scales
Small objects (like the grinding chips) cool down (or
lose the heat of the body) very fast.

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Force Scaling Effects

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Scaling Laws,

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